1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of terminals and terminal systems for retail checkout of products purchased by consumers. More particularly, the invention provides a retail checkout terminal system which can be operated by store personnel and by the consumer, providing a system of integrated cashier and self-checkout terminals on a single network coupled to a single central processor.
2. Prior Art
Retail stores such as supermarkets generally have one or more checkout lanes, each of which is equipped with an electronic cash register operated by a cashier. Although there are variations, the cashier typically operates a keyboard and/or scanner to log into memory the identity or price of each item presented for purchase by the customer, who simply waits. To complete the transaction, the cashier logs the amount presented by the customer, makes change from a cash drawer, and provides the customer with a receipt. In the event of a credit transaction or payment by electronic means, the cashier typically handles the communications needed to verify acceptance of the payment, also using the cashier's keyboard.
Most electronic cash registers are coupled to a back-room computer processor that manages the electronic cash registers in all checkout lanes. In this manner, price changes, promotions and the like can be arranged centrally, i.e., without altering the programming of a plurality of terminals on the system. The combination of a number of electronic cash registers and the computer processor form what is commonly known as a "point-of-sale-system".
Many retail stores and most major supermarkets are equipped with bar-code scanners that scan the Universal Product Code (UPC) or other code on each item presented for purchase. This code is electronically indexed to price information in the store's point-of-sale computer processor. The price of a scanned item is usually displayed, and added to a running sum, which is used to determine the final bill for the shopper.
It is of course desirable and a function of a computer system to minimize the work required by cashiers and other human attendants. However, problems are presented if one attempts to eliminate the cashier and to fully automate the checkout procedure. For example, some items have missing or damaged UPC codes. Some items such as produce items are in bulk and are priced by weight. Furthermore, making change and other aspects of payment present security dangers, or if automated with currency readers or the like are unwieldy and inconvenient.
It is known to provide "self-checkout" machines that allow shoppers to scan their own items to determine prices before visiting the cashier. It is also known to allow the consumer to scan their items at the actual checkout, with the machine performing scanning, indexing and totalling functions. The shopper then takes the indicia generated by the scanning station and pays at a central cashier. Such scanning stations can be equipped with security checking features, such as a scale or dimensional scanning means, enabling the items presented to be cross checked against the expected size and weight of the item, as stored in memory. Store personnel intervene from time to time to help shoppers, e.g. who present items that do not have bar codes or who otherwise need help with the self-checkout process.
The majority of items sold in retail stores today contain bar-coded universal product codes (UPC) and are scanned during checkout. The price for items that do not contain bar-codes must be determined by the cashier and entered manually. Alternatively, a store code is entered which triggers the store computer to determine the price. Variable weight items such as produce are weighed by the cashier or other store personnel using an electronic scale having an output coupled to the electronic cash register. The item code number representing the type of item is entered in the electronic cash register, and the price is established.
The conventional, cashier operated, point of sale system requires an electronic cash register at each lane, a local area network over which all electronic cash registers communicate, and a central processor that contains a file of all items in the store and software to determine pricing and to do the arithmetic and other functions required to conduct a transaction and deliver management reports. The functions of the electronic cash registers and the central computer can be divided in a variety of ways, e.g., with either or both of the electronic cash register and the central processor containing pricing information indexed to product codes and accumulating summary information.
A self-checkout point of sale system is programmed differently and requires other or different component elements in addition to those required in a cashier operated point of sale system. For self-checkout, a number of self-checkout machines (determined by the store) are provided in conjunction with conventional cashier-operated checkout lanes. The self-checkout machines are linked to a separate local area network, and a separate and independent central processor is required to handle the self-checkout functions.
Approximately one electronic cash register is required for processing payments from customers at three self-checkout lanes, to ensure that the electronic cash register at a payment station does not become a bottleneck. Therefore, even if all the customers of a store are required to use self-checkout lanes rather than cashier operated lanes (i.e., if the only cashier operated machines are payment stations), the store still needs a full complement of conventional point of sale network equipment (for both the cashier operated payment stations and the self-checkout lanes), and saves only two-thirds of the electronic cash registers.
It will be appreciated that a major problem with the addition of self-checkout lanes to a conventional point of sale equipped store is the substantial investment needed to cover the cost of the self-checkout equipment in addition to the cost of conventional point of sale equipment. There is considerable hardware redundancy, particularly in the local area networks and the central processors. Even given the fact that self-checkout systems reduce the need for staff, the time required to amortize the investment in self-checkout equipment is often lengthy.
There is also a problem with procedural inefficiencies inherent in having two systems (self-checkout and conventional checkout) operating in one store. Different systems of handling produce and cash are needed. In addition, employees having different training or skill levels are required. In a mix of conventional and self-checkout lanes, all of the operators preferably are trained as cashiers so that they may either assist with self checkout or man a cashier station. In addition, the proportionate mix of self-checkout machines and conventional lanes is fixed, which limits flexibility should the store have a long or short term need for either more conventional lanes or more self-checkouts.
Further, a security problem is raised in providing a large number of persons who can function as cashiers. Each cashier in a conventional lane has access to cash. The more employees having access to cash, the greater the security problem.
As fewer entry level workers enter the labor market in the coming years, there is an impending shortage of workers of the type generally employed by retailers in low level cashier and checkout related positions. In addition, the daily, and in many cases hourly, variability consumer shopping patterns makes labor scheduling difficult for retailers. Conventional cashier operated checkout is limited in that employees must be present to operate the system. It is difficult for store management to accurately predict store traffic. Checkout line backups form at some times, although at times checkout employees stand idle for lack of customers.
The increase in the minimum wage puts additional pressure on retailers to control labor hours. The combination of fewer available workers at higher cost, along with the difficulty of scheduling the proper number of employees to accommodate the number of shoppers in the store, suggests that a system which employs the maximum amount of self-checkout capability along with maximum utilization employee labor offers the greatest return on invested capital.
There is a need for a checkout system that has the capability to checkout consumers in all lanes at all times while the store is open. Such a system would provide the benefits of both conventional checkout and self-checkout, yet deliver checkout capability at a lower equipment cost than the aggregate of the two systems as currently configured. It is also desirable that the system handle other financial transactions and incorporate electronic marketing functions in an integrated arrangement.